Teacher’s Guide
Bridges
Dear Educator,
et to know the amazing structures that span great distances
to help us “bridge the gap”
between two places! While reading
KIDS DISCOVER Bridges, your young
engineers will learn about the fascinating topics at right.
G
PAGES
W H AT ’ S I N BRIDGES
2–3 Bridge the Gap
The beauty and practicality of bridges—plus, record-breaking
bridges!
4–5 Beam Me Across!
Beam bridges and how they work
6–7 The Art of Arch-ery
How does an arch bridge work?
This Teacher’s Guide is filled with
activity ideas and blackline masters
to help your students enjoy and learn
more from Bridges. Select or adapt
the activities that suit your students’
needs best.
Thank you for making KIDS DISCOVER
a part of your classroom.
8–9 What Suspense!
How a suspension bridge works, plus outstanding examples!
10–11 Vasco da Gama Bridge
This beautiful bridge in Portugal looks like an enormous
stringed instrument.
12–13 Variations on a Theme
Cable-stayed bridges, covered bridges, movable bridges, and
more!
14–15 A Bridge is Born
Twelve steps to building the Brooklyn Bridge
Sincerely,
16–17 Bridges in Art
KIDS DISCOVER
P.S. We would love to hear from you!
E-mail your comments and ideas to
[email protected]
Songs, paintings, poems, movies, and books inspired by
bridges
18–19 Student Activities
An acrostic, bridge match-up, and resources
• IN THIS TEACHER’S GUIDE •
2 Prereading Activities
Meeting the Standards
✔ Physical Science
– National Science Education Standards
✔ Visit www.kidsdiscover.com/standards
to find out more about how KIDS
DISCOVER meets state and national
standards.
3 Get Set to Read (Anticipation Guide)
4 Discussion and Writing Questions
5–6 It’s in the Reading (Reading Comprehension)
7 Everything Visual (Graphic Skills)
8 Cross-Curricular Extensions
9–12 Answer Keys to Blackline Masters
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© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 1
PREREADING ACTIVITIES
efore distributing KIDS DISCOVER Bridges activate students’
B
prior knowledge and set a purpose for reading with these
activities.
,
Discussion
T
o get students thinking about how this topic
relates to their interests and lives, ask:
✔ What is the most interesting bridge you ever
crossed? Where is it located? What makes the
bridge interesting to you?
✔ What do you want to learn about bridges?
Concept map
E
xplain to students that
they will be reading
Bridges. Ask: What are some
words that are related to
bridges? List students’
responses on the board. (See
box below for some words
they may suggest.) After creating a list, ask students to group the words into categories, such as Types or Famous Bridges. Create a
concept map by writing Bridges on the board and
circling it. Write the categories around the circle and
draw lines between the ideas to show connections.
Then print the words from the list around the
appropriate categories. Encourage students to add
more words to the concept map as they read Bridges.
KEY TERMS
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
beam
arch
suspension
bascule
truss
Golden Gate Bridge
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Brooklyn Bridge
caisson
abutment
aqueduct
tension
compression
Get Set to Read
(Anticipation Guide)
C
opy and distribute the Get Set to Read blackline master (page 3 of this Teacher’s Guide).
Explain to students that this Anticipation Guide will
help them find out what they know and what
misconceptions they have about the topic. Get Set
to Read is a list of statements—some true, some
false. Ask students to write whether they think
each statement is true or false in the Before
Reading column. Be sure to tell students that it is
not a test and they will not be graded on their
answers. The activity can be completed in a variety of ways for differentiated instruction:
◆ Have students work on their own or in small
groups to complete the entire page.
◆ Assign pairs of students to focus on two statements and to become “experts” on these topics.
◆ Ask students to complete the Before Reading column on their own, and then tabulate the class’s
answers on the chalkboard, on an overhead
transparency, or on your classroom computer.
◆ Review the statements orally with the entire class.
If you predict that students will need assistance
finding the answers, complete the Page Number
column before copying Get Set to Read.
Preview
D
istribute Bridges and model how to preview it.
Examine titles, headings, words in boldface type,
pictures, charts, and captions. Then have students
add new information to the Concept Map. If students will only be reading a few pages at one sitting, preview only the selected pages.
BE WORD WISE WITH POWER VOCABULARY!
Y
ou have exclusive access to additional resources including Power
Vocabulary blackline masters for every available KIDS DISCOVER
title! These activities introduce students to 15 specialized and
general-use vocabulary words from each KIDS DISCOVER title. Working
with both types of words helps students develop vocabulary, improve
comprehension, and read fluently. Follow the links from your Teacher’s
Toolbox CD-ROM and find your title to access these valuable resources:
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
Vocabulary cards
Crossword puzzle
Word find
Matching
Cloze sentences
Dictionary list
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© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 2
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________
Get Set to Read
What do you know about bridges? In Before Reading, write true if you think the statement is
true. Write false if you think the statement is not true. Then read KIDS DISCOVER Bridges. Check
back to find out if you were correct. Write the correct answer and the page number where you
found it.
CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true.
Before Reading
_____________
After Reading
1. The world’s longest bridge is 24
Page Number
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
miles long.
_____________
2. Some bridges have been built mainly
to attract tourists.
_____________
3. The vertical post on a bridge is
called a girder.
_____________
4. China has an arch bridge that was
built nearly 1,400 years ago.
_____________
5. Suspension bridges are the least
expensive type of bridges to build.
_____________
6. The Golden Gate Bridge connects
Staten Island and Brooklyn.
_____________
7. Some bridges open to allow ships to
pass through.
_____________
8. The Brooklyn Bridge was one of the
most amazing engineering feats in
history.
_____________
9. The Brooklyn Bridge was completed
in 1972.
_____________
10. A movie was made about prisoners
of war in World War II who were
forced to build a bridge.
© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 3
DISCUSSION & WRITING QUESTIONS
se the following questions as oral discussion starters or for
U
journaling. For additional in-class discussion and writing
questions, adapt the questions on the reading comprehension
blackline masters on pages 5 and 6.
Cover
Have students look at the cover lines and image.
Ask:
Pages 8–9
✔ Have you ever seen a suspension bridge? Where was
it? What did it look like?
✔ What do you think is the purpose of a cover line?
Why do you think each cover line was chosen?
What does each one mean?
✔ How do you think the collapse of the Tacoma
Narrows Bridge, pictured along the bottom edge of
pages 8 and 9, changed bridge building? Do you
think it helped improve bridge building or did it set
it back?
✔ Why do you think this particular bridge image was
chosen? If you were to choose a bridge to go on the
cover of a magazine titled “Bridges,” what bridge
would you choose? Why?
Pages 2–3
Six record-breaking bridges are shown on pages 2
and 3. Ask:
✔ Of these six bridges, which one would you most like
to visit? Explain your answer.
Pages 2–3
✔ Do you have any beam, arch, or suspension bridges
near your town? What do they look like?
Pages 4–5
✔ Have you ever seen a beam bridge? What did it look
like? Where was it?
✔ Do you think you could build a beam bridge? What
materials would you use? Where would you build
it?
✔ Would you like to walk on the bridge that is pictured at the top of page 4? Why or why not? What
do you think would be the most difficult part about
walking on that bridge?
Pages 6–7
✔ Have you ever seen an arch bridge? Where was it?
What did it look
like? What materials was it made
from?
✔ Which of the
bridges on pages 6
and 7 do you think
is the most interesting? Why? Which
bridge would you
most like to visit?
Why?
Pages 10–11
Have students look at
the bridge on pages 10
and 11. Ask:
✔ Why do you think this
image was chosen for
the center spread?
What is your impression of this bridge: Do
you think it is a startlingly beautiful bridge,
or do you think it is an
eyesore? Explain your
answer.
Give
students
the chance
to develop a board
game with the
information that
they learned in a
KIDS DISCOVER
issue.
Pages 12–13
Most bridges take people from one side of a river
to another. But bridges that span the exact same
lengths vary in many ways. Ask:
✔ Why do you think there are so many variations in
bridges?
Pages 14–15
People who build bridges face a variety of dangers. Ask:
✔ What dangers do you think construction workers on
bridges face? Would you like to help in the construction of a bridge? Explain.
Pages 16–17
The introduction on page 16 says, “Both literally
and symbolically, bridges create connections, making our world a smaller place.” Ask:
✔ What does this sentence mean? How do bridges
make “our world a smaller place”?
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© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 4
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________
It’s in the Reading
After reading KIDS DISCOVER Bridges, choose the best answer for each question.
Fill in the circle.
Find your answers on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question.
1. The world’s widest bridge is located in _____.
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. Hong Kong
B. Louisiana
C. Australia
D. England
2 3
2. The vertical post that supports a beam bridge is called a _____.
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. pier
B. beam
C. girder
D. span
4 5
3. The weight of an arch bridge is carried outward beginning at the _____.
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. abutment
B. keystone
C. pier
D. span
6 7
4. A famous bridge that was completed in 1345 is the _____.
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. Zhaozhou Bridge in China
B. Pont Neuf in Paris
C. Pont du Gard in France
D. Ponte Vecchio in Italy
6 7
5. The kind of bridge that spans the longest distances is a(n) _____.
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. suspension bridge
B. arch bridge
C. beam bridge
D. covered bridge
8 9
6. The purpose of a truss system on a suspension bridge is to _____.
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. support the piers
B. reduce swaying of the deck
C. anchor the cables
D. create compression
© KIDS DISCOVER
8 9
BRIDGES 5
It’s in the Reading
(continued)
7. One feature the Vasco da Gama Bridge does NOT have is a(n) _____.
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. pier
B. arch
C. cable
D. deck
10 11
8. A beam with a support at only one end is a _____.
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. truss
B. firth
C. cantilever
D. swing-span
12 13
9. How does a cable-stayed bridge differ from a suspension bridge?
❍
❍
❍
❍
A. A cable-stayed bridge has cables and a suspension bridge doesn’t.
B. The cables of a cable-stayed bridge are not attached to an anchorage.
C. A cable-stayed bridge does not have a truss.
D. A cable-stayed bridge does not have towers.
12 13
10.
What had to be done before the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge
were built?
❍ A. Anchorages had to be built.
❍ B. Steel suspenders had to be hung from cables.
❍ C. A temporary footbridge had to be built.
❍ D. Caissons had to be filled with concrete.
11.
❍
❍
❍
❍
12.
One symbolic meaning that bridges have is _____.
A. a way to reach enemies during war
B. communication between two people
C. the scenic quality of covered bridges
D. only modern societies can build good bridges
14 15
16 17
Why do you think people are fascinated by bridges?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 6
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________
Everything Visual
A diagram can show how something is constructed and how it works. Compare the diagrams
of a beam bridge on page 5, an arch bridge on pages 6–7, and a suspension bridge on pages 8–9.
Then answer the questions.
1. How does the compression on a beam bridge and on an arch bridge differ?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Compare the tension on a beam bridge and on a suspension bridge.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. What advantages does a suspension bridge have over an arch bridge and a beam bridge?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the purpose of the anchorage on a suspension bridge?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Which of the three kinds of bridges has the simplest construction? Explain why it is effective
although it is so simple.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Which of the three kinds of bridges has the most complex construction? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 7
CROSS-CURRICULAR EXTENSIONS
H aa vned si nt ut edreenstts itnr yb rt ihdegsees .a c t i v i t i e s t o e x p a n d t h e i r k n o w l e d g e
Math, Geography
Art, Science
The longest bridge in the world is 24 miles long.
Ask students: “What cities or towns do you think
are 24 miles away from our town?” Then give students a local map with a scale. Show students how
to use the scale and a piece of string to determine
the distance between two points. Using your town
as the center of the circle and the string length representing 24 miles as the radius of the circle, draw a
circle on the map to show the towns that are 24
miles away from your town.
Have students look at Vincent Van Gogh’s painting Langlois Bridge on page 16 of the issue. Ask students questions about the painting, such as “Based
on the painting, what do you think the lifestyle of
the people in the town is like?” Next, ask students
to look in art books or research on the Internet
other pieces of art from various cultures that feature
bridges. Ask groups of students to select two pieces
of art and create a Venn
diagram comparing and
contrasting the styles,
Use KIDS
features, colors, and so
DISCOVER
on. Students should
to model
share their comparisons.
summarize
how
to
Finally, ask students to
ideas by writing
create their own piece of
main points on
art that features a bridge.
sticky notes and
They may wish to copy
attaching them
the style of one of the
to the pages.
paintings they researched
or use a different style.
Language Arts
The beginning of a book or magazine article is
important. Its purpose is to catch a reader’s attention and make him or her want to read on and
learn more. Have a student read aloud the opening
paragraph to this issue on bridges. Students might
discuss what they think is interesting about it. Then
have students try their hand at writing their own
opening paragraph to a magazine issue on bridges.
Science, Art
Have students bring in “junk” from home, such
as cleaned plastic bottles and small cardboard
boxes. Add these materials to extra materials found
in your classroom, such as Popsicle sticks, clay, and
pipe cleaners. Have students work in groups and
“build” a bridge with these materials. Encourage
students to refer to the illustrations and photographs of various bridges in the magazine. When
groups present their bridges, they should explain
the type of bridge they built: beam, arch, or suspension. They should also describe the most difficult
part of building the bridge.
Language Arts
A poem titled “The Bridge,” written by Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow, appears on page 17. Ask students to write their own poem titled “The Bridge.”
The subject of their poem doesn’t have to be the
same as Longfellow’s—a mournful look back about a
lost love— but it should have something to do with
bridges, used in either a literal or figurative way.
Students might want to display their poems by writing them on a bridge cutout or in the shape of a
bridge.
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© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 8
ANSWER KEY
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________
Get Set to Read
What do you know about bridges? In Before Reading, write true if you think the statement is
true. Write false if you think the statement is not true. Then read KIDS DISCOVER Bridges. Check
back to find out if you were correct. Write the correct answer and the page number where you
found it.
CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true.
Before Reading
After Reading
1. The world’s longest bridge is 24
Page Number
True
p. 2
True
p. 3
False
p. 4
True
p. 6
False
p. 8
False
p. 9
True
p. 13
True
p. 14
9. The Brooklyn Bridge was completed
in 1972 1883.
False
p. 15
10. A movie was made about prisoners
True
p. 17
miles long.
2. Some bridges have been built mainly
to attract tourists.
3. The vertical post on a bridge is
called a girder pier.
4. China has an arch bridge that was
built nearly 1,400 years ago.
5. Suspension bridges are the least most
expensive types of bridges to build.
6. The Golden Gate Bridge connects
Staten Island and Brooklyn spans
San Francisco Bay.
7. Some bridges open to allow ships to
pass through.
8. The Brooklyn Bridge was one of the
most amazing engineering feats in
history.
of war in World War II who were
forced to build a bridge.
© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 9
ANSWER KEY
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________
It’s in the Reading
After reading KIDS DISCOVER Bridges choose the best answer for each question.
Fill in the circle.
Find your answers on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question.
1. The world’s widest bridge is located in _____.
❍ A. Hong Kong
❍ B. Louisiana
● C. Australia (compare and contrast)
❍ D. England
2 3
2. The vertical post that supports a beam bridge is called a _____.
● A. pier (word meaning)
❍ B. beam
❍ C. girder
❍ D. span
4 5
3. The weight of an arch bridge is carried outward beginning at the _____.
❍ A. abutment
● B. keystone (word meaning)
❍ C. pier
❍ D. span
6 7
4. A famous bridge that was completed in 1345 is the _____.
❍ A. Zhaozhou Bridge in China
❍ B. Pont Neuf in Paris
❍ C. Pont du Gard in France
● D. Ponte Vecchio in Italy (details)
6 7
5. The kind of bridge that spans the longest distances is a(n) _____.
● A. suspension bridge (details)
❍ B. arch bridge
❍ C. beam bridge
❍ D. covered bridge
8 9
6. The purpose of a truss system on a suspension bridge is to _____.
❍ A. support the piers
● B. reduce swaying of the deck (cause and effect)
❍ C. anchor the cables
❍ D. create compression
© KIDS DISCOVER
8 9
BRIDGES 10
It’s in the Reading
(continued)
7. One feature the Vasco da Gama Bridge does NOT have is a(n) _____.
❍ A. pier
● B. arch (draw conclusions)
❍ C. cable
❍ D. deck
10 11
8. A beam with a support at only one end is a _____.
❍ A. truss
❍ B. firth
● C. cantilever (word meaning)
❍ D. swing-span
12 13
9. How does a cable-stayed bridge differ from a suspension bridge?
❍ A. A cable-stayed bridge has cables and a suspension bridge doesn’t.
● B. The cables of a cable-stayed bridge are not attached to an anchorage.
12 13
(compare and contrast)
❍ C. A cable-stayed bridge does not have a truss.
❍ D. A cable-stayed bridge does not have towers.
10.
What had to be done before the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge
were built?
❍ A. Anchorages had to be built.
❍ B. Steel suspenders had to be hung from cables.
❍ C. A temporary footbridge had to be built.
● D. Caissons had to be filled with concrete. (sequence)
14 15
11.
One symbolic meaning that bridges have is _____.
❍ A. a way to reach enemies during war
● B. communication between two people (figurative meaning)
❍ C. the scenic quality of covered bridges
❍ D. only modern societies can build good bridges
12.
16 17
Why do you think people are fascinated by bridges?
Answers will vary. Students might describe the beauty of bridges,
the wide variety of bridges, and the symbolic meanings of bridges.
© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 11
ANSWER KEY
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________
Everything Visual
A diagram can show how something is constructed and how it works. Compare the diagrams
of a beam bridge on page 5, an arch bridge on pages 6–7, and a suspension bridge on pages 8–9.
Then answer the questions.
1. How does the compression on a beam bridge and on an arch bridge differ?
On a beam bridge, the bridge is compressed inward along the top of the bridge. On an arch
bridge, the bridge is compressed outward along the bottom of the arch.
2. Compare the tension on a beam bridge and on a suspension bridge.
On a beam bridge, the tension goes outward on the lower portion of the roadway. On a suspension bridge, tension is carried along the cables.
3. What advantages does a suspension bridge have over an arch bridge and a beam bridge?
A suspension bridge can carry more weight and span longer distances.
4. What is the purpose of the anchorage on a suspension bridge?
It supports the cables.
5. Which of the three kinds of bridges has the simplest construction? Explain why it is effective
although it is so simple.
The arch bridge is simplest. It works because the arch has great natural strength.
6. Which of the three kinds of bridges has the most complex construction? Explain.
The suspension bridge has the most complex construction. It has more supporting parts.
© KIDS DISCOVER
BRIDGES 12